Advantages

Disadvantages

Great alarm clock, really does make a difference!

I bought this alarm clock around 4 years ago to replace my old radio alarm clock. I have always struggled to get a good night's sleep, and I always felt very tired and not at all refreshed in the morning. I decided it was time to spend a bit of money (I was quite shocked how expensive the Lumie clocks are) to try to sort it out.

When the Lumie Sunray arrived I thought it looked stylish and went well on my bedside table. I was pleasantly surprised that the light was good enough to read by, replacing my bedside table lamp.

From the very first night I used this alarm clock, I could tell the difference in both dropping off to sleep and how I felt when I woke up in the morning. The Sunset mode is really easy to set, you just turn the alarm on to go off in the morning and then turn the light up to whatever brightness you'd like it to start at. It then gradually gets darker until it goes out completely. I found this really helps me to drop off to sleep.

In the morning the light starts to come on half an hour before the alarm is set and gradually gets lighter. I found at first this woke me up around 5 minutes before the alarm went off. After a few days though I found I got used to the light and it didn't wake me up. However, I still found it beneficial. I think the light intensity makes you come into a much lighter sleep so that it is easier to wake up.

I have found using the Lumie regularly for nearly 4 years (I recently upgraded to a Philips Wake-up light) I have found it really improved my sleep. I am much better at falling to sleep now, and find I wake up more gently and don't have that horrible drowsy deep feeling you sometimes get when the alarm goes off. This was most apparent when I went on holiday and woke up without it. I really did notice the difference.

There are some things that could be improved, especially since I've tried the Philips. It would be nice if the alarm noise came on gradually, as even with the light it can come as a bit of a shock sometimes. Also it would be nice to have a radio, but I knew it didn't when I bought it so I can't really complain!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Let the sun wake you up every morning.

When you wake up in the morning and it is grey and raining all you want to do is turn of the alarm and go back to sleep. However we all know how much better your day is when you are woken up by sunlight filtering through the blinds rather than a shrill alarm demanding you get up - you spring out of bed with yeehaa and go about what you know is going to be a great day.

The Lumi clock brings a sunny wake up call on dark mornings. It gradually lights over the space of about 20 minutes to gradually stir you from slumber - much like the sun rising. There is an audio alarm in case you want to be extra careful of not sleeping in, though I find I usually wake before this goes off. I must admit I was sceptical at first but for me it genuinely did work and it is much more pleasant to wake up "naturally" than to be shocked awake by an alarm. I felt that I had had a much better nights sleep as I did not feel my sleep was interrupted by a sudden noise.

It also has the opposite mode whereby you can set the light to act like sunset - this is a very relaxing way to drop off at night. So whether you have problems falling asleep or waking up this is a great product.

I have used the Lumie clock for about 2 years and have only now realised just how effective it is as my boyfriend actually broke it about a week ago. I hate waking up to the sound of a mobile phone alarm but I guess I will just have to get used to it until I can afford to get another Lumie.

At £50+ it may seem very expensive for an alarm clock but I would say the benefits outweigh the cost.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A good clock but consider spending more to get the one with the radio

The Lumie Bodyclock Sunray is an alarm clock uniquely designed for sufferers of SAD or seasonal affectiveness disorder. SAD is a disorder where the sufferer has a normal level of mental health throughout the year but can suffer from syptoms of depression in the winter months. Quite often its known as the winter blues and I believe in the past its one of those things that you just got on with but now there are different products available for those who think that they suffer from it.

I'm not a sufferer of SAD although I do find getting up in the mornings hard (who doesn't) although the birth of my second son appears to have cured me of this problem as I now have now choice but to get up and attend to his cries. Before this however, I did need a boost in the morning. I was also in need of an alarm clock. So considering my hatred of dark mornings I invested around £60 to buy myself the Lumie Bodyclock.

The clock works by turning on a light gradually 1/2 an hour before the alarm is set. The idea is that your body wakes gradually and your levels of melatonin adjust to improve your mood (or this is what the blurb on the John Lewis website states). You are then either rudely awoken with a very loud alarm when it is due or if it has done its job you wake up just before your alarm. YOu can also set it without the beep although this is often a bit too risky if I am particularly tired. When you set the alarm it also creates a sunset as it slowly dims, which apparently allows you to enter into a deep sleep gently.

The clock has a 12 hour or 24 hour function and as I said you can set the alarm with or without the buzzer.

Does it work? Erm yes and no. It certainly makes me feel a little bit fresher in the mornings when I have been allowed to wake up with the alarm (and not the crying baby type) however, it doesn't work as it irritates my husband a lot, who has to get up later than I do. In the end I end up turning it off before the sunrise is complete and I fall back to sleep, completely missing the point of the exercise.

The buzzer is also a little too loud as you have been woken gently and then if you haven't got up you are then shocked out of bed by the buzzer. Replacing the bulbs is not that easy either as you have to contact them directly to purchase one. I didn't actually get round to it so have put in a normal bulb which appears to be doing the job.

All in all though it is a useful clock however, I do feel that I should have paid a little more and purchased the one with the radio, just so I can have a slightly more gentle wake up rather than the buzzer.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Great tool to help wake you up.

Getting up in the morning is hard enough in the summer when the light comes through the window. In winter when it is pitch black it can be torture taking those first few steps and I have to say that I have missed some important commitments through this issue.

The Lumie bodyclock Sunray works by gradually reducing the amount of light in the room at night and then gradually increases the amount of light in the morning. The idea behind this is that your body has a natural cyclic rhythm. This rhythm makes us drowsy and tired in the evening and alert in the morning. By increasing the amount light in the morning we are exposed to we become more alert easier than if the room is dark.

I personally found it easier to wake up after using the product, and have been using it daily since purchasing. There is an LED display stating the time and the product projects sunbeams onto the wall. If you don't want to use the alarm function this can be switched off and the item becomes a standard dimmer.

The product is simple to use with straightforward instructions and a useful gadget for those who find waking up such a chore.

I purchased mine for £50 off Ebay which i was impressed with. I would recommend this product to all.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A useful gadget to have in the bedroom

My husband bought the Bodyclock Sunray for me several years ago. He needs darkness to sleep and installed a blind which meant that the bedroom was very dark on winter mornings. I was finding it hard to wake up properly when it was dark and noticed a difference when he was away on business and I slept with the blind open. My solution was to have a lamp on a timer partially hidden in the wardrobe to put a bit of a glow into the room before I woke up. Hubby then heard about the bodyclock and decided to buy one for my birthday.

The bodyclock works by gradually reducing the amount of light in the room at bedtime and increasing it in the morning thus capitalising on our bodies' natural tendency to sleep at dusk and wake at dawn. I do find it easier to get out of bed (especially during the winter) since having it

It also projects images of sunbeams onto the wall behind it which is a nice touch. Switching the alarm off means that it can be used like an ordinary bedside lamp or dimmer. I no longer have the instructions but it is simple to use.

The clock has an LED display which hubby insists on covering up at night but I can easily uncover it should I need to check the time.

There are a couple of downsides to it. Firstly a power dip of even a split second will reset the clock and alarm although it does beep when the power comes back on so at least I wake up to sort it. Also it is not compatible with energy saving lightbulbs although I don't think many dimmers are.

All in all it is a very useful piece of kit although I will shop around a bit when the time comes to replace it.